Srinagar attack: Conspiracy to 'free' LeT militant Naveed Jutt hatched 4 months ago

Jammu and Kashmir Police have arrested four people for their alleged involvement in Pakistan-born Lashker-e-Taiba terrorist Mohammed Naveed Jhatt's escape from the busy SMHS hospital.

A file photo of Mohammed Naveed Jutt alias Abu Hanzala, Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist who escaped from police captivity on Tuesday in Srinagar hospital attack.

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Police have arrested four people for their alleged involvement in Pakistan-born Lashker-e-Taiba terrorist Mohammed Naveed Jhatt's escape from the busy SMHS hospital. Shakeel Bhat, Tika Khan, Rahil Kachroo and Mohammad Shafi are the four people arrested in connection with Jhatt's escape, police said. They said Bhat was the mastermind of the escape of 22-year-old Jhatt alias Abu Hanzalla on February 6. Bhat's motorcycle had been used in the escape of the terrorist, police said. Khan, a resident of Pulwama, is alleged to have provided his car for further transportation of Jhatt out of the city, police said. The plan: The conspirators had initially planned Naveed's escape from a south Kashmir court four months ago in Pulwama but failed. After they didn't succeed in the first attempt, two active militants Tika Khan and Hilal visited Naveed in the Srinagar Central Jail several times on one or the other pretext. "The initial plan was to take him from Pulwama court but they did not succeed. They formed the second plan, and as part of it Hilal and Tika Khan visited the central jail several times on one pretext or the other, The militants came to the hospital on February 8, mingled with people and positioned themselves inside before Naveed was brought there. When he (Naveed) entered the casualty department of the hospital, Hilal (a militant) quietly put a pistol in his pocket from which he opened fire. The CCTV footage shows Naveed running away with the pistol. Naveed and Hilal then rode a motorcycle kept ready by the two overground workers to reach their hideout. Tika Khan came in the evening and picked them up from there. Asked whether phones had been used inside the hospital to plan the escape, Additional Director General of Police Munir Khan said: "Yes, phones have been used from within the jail and director general prisons had already started an inquiry." Asked why the LeT was so desperate to have Naveed out of prison, Khan said its leadership has virtually been wiped out in the valley and they wanted him as their new commander. The car and the motorcycle used in the escape have also been seized. Weapons have been recovered from the arrested militants. The Superintendent of Srinagar Central Jail has been suspended. The medical staff at the SMHS Hospital has been shifted amid suspicion that they may also be involved in the conspiracy. Police chief S.P. Vaid earlier admitted that there were gaping holes in the security system that had guaranteed the execution of the conspiracy in the escape of the terrorist. Meanwhile, pictures of Naveed wielding a weapon along with two other militants have gone viral indicating that he has joined the militant ranks after his escape. (With inputs from agencies)